


Ring Out, Wild Bells

by Heronfem



Series: Works for Others [6]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: First Time, Fluff, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Marriage, Tenderness, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 12:18:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14915246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heronfem/pseuds/Heronfem
Summary: The marriage of Mahalen Lavellan - and the night immediately following.





	Ring Out, Wild Bells

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission for @rufflesandpearls! Please go take a look at their work, they do absolutely amazing things and incredible art.

On the day of his wedding, Mahalen Lavellan looks impeccable. 

He looks impeccable all days, certainly, but today he looks even better than usual, and that's quite something. His clothing is all white and gold, rich and sumptuous fabrics, the fur around his neck also brilliant white. His boots are tall and fitted to his thighs, his hair has been styled within an inch of its life, and he's not certain he's ever been more nervous in his life. 

The wedding itself is to be held at a small, out of the way Chantry not far from Dominic's mansion. Dominic is somewhere on the other side, preparing as well. Josephine was the one that helped Hal dress, fussing over this and that until he looked perfect. And he does look perfect. The mirror is extremely flattering, even as he paces around the room as though it's a cage. He's never been fond of cages or binds, not that anyone ever seems to be, but today he's especially nervous. 

Hal is many things. But at his core, deep down, he knows he's still the trickster witch of the woods that never could find a partner, unworthy of love and attention. 

Hal had been excluded with little thought. _Deviant_ was thrown around often, for the strange little witch-boy with his fox shape and trickster ways. Unnatural, unreasonable, strange and unsettling. He'd never had anyone to be with, no one had ever wanted him, and if they had they kept it a secret for fear of what others would say. He was alone in the world for most of his life, and that, much as he hates to admit it, has left a mark. Hal knows of sex, has heard people discuss it and wish for it, has found aids under the recommendations of others in the court, and is not innocent in so far as knowledge is concerned. But he's never actually taken the plunge, as it were. He remains untouched by others, and tonight that will change. He's wanted it for ages, wanted those moments of adoration and lust mingled together. He's impatient to know what it is to have sex with another person. 

And so, today he will. 

The other boys that he'd been interested in had gone on with their lives far faster than he had. He'd been left behind, all alone and confused, working out his needs and desires with no one to help. Some of the bolder ones had deigned to flirt with him, so long as they weren't seen with him. Flirting in the Orlesian fashion at court is as easy as breathing, and utterly pointless. The Orlesian's never seriously pursued him, at least... not until Dominic.

Dominic is a gentleman, and a gentle man. Hal is fully aware of the difference between the two, but Dominic straddles that line without even blinking. He treats Hal not as though he's fragile or delicate, but as something to be cherished and treated well. Like a particularly expensive knife, perhaps, one to be kept wrapped in silks and velvet and admired. He is not glass, not something fragile and easily broken, and Dominic does not treat him as such. Nor does he treat him as if he were something to be put on a pedestal and only dusted off during spring cleaning, or like some unnatural and exotic beast. Dominic simply sees him, and that is why after all their little tea parties and letters back and forth, Hal is going to walk into a Chantry dressed all in white and gold, and marry him. 

Hal pauses in his pacing to adjust his stole, the white fox fur wonderfully soft against his hands. He strokes over it, the fur familiar in his hands, and takes a deep, steadying breath. 

Dominic is a study in contrasts, a man in eternal control of himself while completely comfortable ceding the reins of their relationship to Hal. Hal likes that. Dominic is self assured and knows himself inside and out with a pure clarity, and while he plays The Game with aplomb he's still so kind. Hal thinks that, perhaps, this marriage will be good for them both. 

It'll be fine. 

It'll be better than fine. He'll have a husband, a good man with a kind smile, one who's sworn to give him all his desires, and Hal has every intention of making him keep his words on that. And besides, Dominic has made no secret of that fact that he enjoys Hal's looks. Hal is beautiful, and charming, and has every intention of keeping his husband now that he has him.

Sense of balance and self restored, he brushes down his clothes and returns to examining himself in the mirror. 

It's going to be a day of firsts in many ways, but he's excited. Sex is something new and exciting, something that he'll learn and excel at as fast as possible. Hal squishes down his nerves, and smiles at the mirror. If he can seduce the entire Orlesian court, he can handle one noble in bed. 

There's a knock on the door and Josephine pokes her head in, smiling at him. 

“Now?” he asks, giving himself one last look over before nodding in final approval of his looks. 

“Yes, they're ready to begin.” Josephine smiles at him, and Hal preens under her pleased gaze. “You look wonderful, Inquisitor. Come, let's go and see you married.”

Hal's smile is genuine as they leave the room and walk down the stone halls. It's a change from the enormous trees of his childhood and the rough clothes he once wore. Now he'll be nobility, with all the trappings of wealth and privilege that entails. It's a massive leap up from the life he once led. 

“Ready?” Josephine asks as they reach the door. 

“Ready,” he says, and they exchange cheek kisses.

The ceremony itself is quiet and simple. The flowers are white, the Chantry lighting soft. They have few guests, mostly Inquisition Circle members and a few of Dominic's closest friends. Leliana says a few words, the cord around their wrists is ceremonially tied together, and they kiss lightly. Hal doesn't pay attention to most of the words. He's more fixated on what will come after. Dominic's face is soft and kind from what he can see under the mask, and while Hal has kissed him many times before this one carries more weight. And more heat. 

There's no celebration after, not really. There's a quick meal, and then he and Dominic bundle themselves into a carriage and are promptly whisked back to the Montagne mansion. 

His mansion. 

His home, once this whole Inquisition mess blows over. 

The servants are waiting for them and shower them in flower petals as they step out of the carriage, calling congratulations to them both. Hal feels infinitely better, and beams at them all. The blossoms are pale pink, and must have taken a lot of gathering, but they look wonderful against his hair and his clothes. He takes off his traveling coat in the hall, handing it off to one of the butlers, and Dominic leads him to what's soon to be their bedroom. He likes the Montagne estate, and the mansion is well decorated and classic without being tacky in its opulence. It's like Dominic, in a way; elegant and pastoral, with a spine of steel underneath. Even the flower gardens are regimented and kept pristine. The house is lived in and loved, but never out of order. Everything has a place. 

And now, Hal has a place within it as well. 

“Welcome home, my Lord,” one of the servants says as he loosens his collar and feels a bone deep shiver of pleasure run down his spine at the idea of _home_. “Do you require food before you retire?”

“No, Mathilde, we'll be fine,” Dominic says. Hal looks over his shoulder and smiles at him, pleased and excited. There's something both embarrassing and kind about the servants knowing they're intending to consummate their marriage. They like both of them, so it's a bit like being cheered on by family, but the servants don't seem to have any interest in laughing about them or shaming them, and Hal smiles. He wants to dart up the stairs, excitement and nerves running through him in equal measure, but forces himself to walk up slowly. Dominic follows him, and once they enter Dominic's chambers and the door clicks closed Hal practically leaps on him. He's been waiting for this for ages, and he's done being patient. 

“Slow down,” Dominic laughs, catching him around the waist as Hal tugs off his mask and tosses it onto the vanity. “We have plenty of time. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Not at this speed, you're not,” Hal agrees, and tugs at his shirt. Dominic laughs again, gently pushing him back to open the buttons of his vest. Hal wants to do it himself but also wants to be free of his own clothes, and after a moment of warring desires he starts tugging off his own clothing. It's left in a lazy heap on the floor as he becomes more and more exposed, eyes fixed on Dominic's torso as he peels the shirt off. He's still well muscled after years of work and staying in fighting shape, shapely and well formed, with the softest curls on his chest, in the same silver-blond as his hair. He's not some immobile statue, and there's a slightly layer of softness over the muscle that looks utterly inviting. 

Hal wants him. 

Hal has wanted him for a while, and now he's got what he wants, right in front of him, and it's his for good. 

He sits to take off the thigh high boots, and sucks in a breath when Dominic kneels to do it for him. There's something so very pleasing about his new husband on his knees, slowly sliding the boot from his leg. Heat fizzes up his spine as it's set aside and Dominic bows to kiss his knee lightly, then takes the other off for him. 

That done, Dominic rises and strips off his pants and underclothes, and suddenly Hal remembers that. Ah. Yes. 

He's never actually been in this situation before and has no idea what to say. 

He does give Dominic an appreciative once over, admiring his heft and length of his cock, letting his eyes linger on the smooth swell of muscle in his legs. But Dominic is waiting for him to finish undressing as well. He jolts back into action, pulling off his clothes with no body-shyness. None of that remains after years of knowing to shape-shift– one must know the body intimately, inside and out. 

He sets aside his things, now naked as well, and turns to look back at Dominic. Dominic's eyes have gone dark, the pupils dilating as he looks at him, and Hal puts a hand on his hip and cocks his head. 

“See something you like?” He purrs, pleased to be back on solid ground.

“Yes,” Dominic says, and practically crashes into him to pull him in close and kiss him hard. They've kissed plenty of times, and it's been heated before but never anything like this. Hal loves it, and wraps his arms around Dominic's neck to keep him there. It's gratifying, to know that Dominic is very much into his appearance.

“Bed,” Hal demands when they break for air, and Dominic chuckles. He grabs a tin off of the vanity as they pass it, opening it and setting the lid on a chair without much thought.

The tin is full of... something. It looks like a thick oil of some kind and is perfectly clear and free of scent. Dominic sets it on the table by the bed within easy reach before pulling Hal down onto it. They fall in a tangled heap of skin against skin, and Hal runs his hands over Dominic's bare body, so new and fascinating. He mentally notes some old scars and the new curves against him as Dominic's broad arm holds him steady and lips kiss his neck. He gasps, arching into Dominic as his cock jerks with surprised interest. 

“Sensitive,” Dominic murmurs against his skin, and Hal shivers with excitement. His hands find Dominic's hair and tug, and Dominic arches up into him in return. 

“Slow down sweetheart,” Dominic murmurs against his ear, and Hal shivers as he bites a line of kisses down his neck. “Let me take care of you, let me make this good. We have plenty of time for experimenting together the rest of our lives.”

Hal manages a strangled noise of agreement, cheeks heating up as Dominic nips lightly at the curve of his jaw. “Dominic-”

“I've got you,” he purrs, and Hal trembles at just how fond his voice sounds. “I've got you.”

“I don't want to go slow,” Hal sighs, jolting as Dominic's free hand slides up his chest. “Come on, please!”

“So needy,” Dominic teases, and kisses him deeply. Hal whimpers softly, dragging his fingers along his skin, wanting to feel every inch of him. It's all new, the press of skin to skin, and he finds himself terribly hungry for all of it, afraid and thrilled. His fingers skitter over the surface, wanting to touch everything all at once and yet being distracted by the mouth against his skin. His hands wander south, temptation and curiosity and fear all at war with each other. He's not certain of the parameters of their arrangement. Is he allowed touch now? Or is that later? Hal jumps as Dominic wraps his hand around his cock, startled by the unfamiliar feeling, and Dominic pauses.

Dominic pulls back, giving him a long look. “I was wondering... Is this your first time, Hal?”

Hal bristles, mortified that he's been caught. Betrayed by his own body and uncertainty! “I'm not an innocent, Dominic. I'm aware of how my body works quite intimately.”

“I'll be your first sexual partner, then?”

Hal's face flames hot. “I- No! I've definitely done this before-”

“Darling, it's clear that you haven't.” Dominic says it with tenderness and a kind of love. Hal deflates, nervous and a little embarrassed. “Nothing wrong with not knowing how this goes or what you're doing.”

“Of course I know what I'm doing,” he says, tilting his chin up. “I'm having sex, with you. I'm not a child, Dominic.”

“I didn't say that you are, or even imply that,” Dominic says simply, taking all the fight out of him. He leans in to kiss him, slow and heated, and when he pulls back Hal feels a little breathless from it. “You're no child, Hal, I have eyes. Not knowing something isn't a shameful thing. Besides, I like that I'll be your first.”

Hal wrinkles his nose. “From the way other nobles go on about trained courtesans, I'd think that you'd prefer people with _experience_ over someone like me.”

Dominic shakes his head, straddling Hal's hips to push him down on the bed. “Not in the slightest.”

Hal feels his skin tingle as Dominic pulls him in for a slow and heavy kiss, the heat of it making his toes curl. 

“Don't you think it's pleasing for me?” Dominic asks, his voice gone raspy with want. “To get to teach you what it is to have pleasure like this? To watch you fall apart in my hands and be put back together with care and pure euphoria? To be the first to show you what kind of pleasure your body can hold? I get to be the one to show you an entirely new world, all by myself. Why would I ever shame you for something so wonderful?”

Hal's hands shake as he reaches up to run his fingers through Dominic's hair. “ _Oh._ ”

“Yes, oh,” Dominic says with a smile. “We have plenty of time.”

“So... you want to teach me?”

“In a way.” Dominic runs one sturdy hand over the lines of his torso, drinking him in. Hal's familiar with lust, has long been the object of people's interest if not actions, but there's something different about the way that Dominic looks at him. It's heavier, headier, something more complicated than Hal wants to dissect at the moment. So he looks away, face still hot. 

“I didn't want you to be disappointed,” Hal says reluctantly, looking at the pillows instead of Dominic. “I'm not young anymore, I should... I should have done this at least once by now. I wanted to be the one to seduce you.” It comes out a little petulant, but he doesn't feel bad about it.

“You don't have to hide anything from me,” Dominic says, his voice so gentle it makes Hal tremble. He tries to look away, but Dominic's hand cups his cheek and turns his face back so that they're eye to eye once more. “Hal, my sweet, you don't have to win me over and convince me of anything. I am yours in my entirety, and I am for the rest of my life.”

Hal licks his lips, uncertain and unsteady. “Are you sure?”

“I am always sure when it comes to being with you.” Dominic kisses him again, slow and sweet, and some of the pounding of his heart eases as he kisses back. 

“You're a terrible sap,” Hal informs him, and Dominic huffs out a laugh against his lips.

“Only when it comes to you, my dear.”

Hal smiles into the kiss, charmed despite himself, and presses quick kisses over Dominic's cheeks before pulling back. “All right. Your pupil is ready.”

The cleaning spell is a simple one he's used before and knew he would be using tonight, so he flicks his fingers and it's done, leaving only the cool tingle of magic in its wake and the vaguest sense of discomfort. That quickly fades as Dominic smiles, kissing him, and picks up the tin to show him. 

“You've used oils before, yes?”

“Is that oil?” Hal raises an eyebrow. “It's so thick.”

“It's specifically for sex, but yes. Feel it.”

Hal gingerly does so, ears pinned down a little, and blinks at the texture. He rubs it between his fingers, interested, and cocks his head as he watches it move. “Huh. Strange.”

“It is, isn't it?” Dominic smiles. “But nice. And good quality. There's no such thing as too much lubricant, either, and it's not going to break us to buy plenty of more.”

“Confident, aren't you?” 

“It's my job to be confident in you,” Dominic says, amused. “I'm your husband.”

Hal feels a little thrill run through him at that. “You are, aren't you?”

Dominic kisses him once more before nodding at him to lay back on the bed. Hal goes, feeling very exposed, and sprawls back again the soft pillows. They've both gone soft, not hugely surprising given their conversation, but the weight of Dominic's eyes on him is enough to make Hal twitch. Those beautiful eyes, his husband's eyes, they always seem to be able to bore right into him. They have since they first met. Hal knows he once felt afraid of those eyes and what they might see, but now... now he finds them soothing. 

“It feels strange, at first,” Dominic says, his voice gentle. Hal hates how reassuring it is. “It shouldn't be painful- a little uncomfortable, yes, but no painful. If it actually hurts, tell me immediately. Alright?”

Hal nods, biting his lip. “I'm sure I can take it.”

“I'm sure you can, too.” Dominic kisses him again, slow and sweet. “And if you don't want to tonight-”

“No!” Hal bursts out, indignant and determined. “I want to!”

“Alright,” Dominic says, smiling fondly. He coats his fingers in the strange thick oil. “Something you should know... Sex is strange, and awkward, and sometimes funny. And none of that's an issue.”

He's so distracted it takes a moment to recognize the strange feeling of the finger being pushed into him. It's... nice. Strange, but nice, and he catches his breath at the sensation and struggles to relax. He takes a moment to adjust to it as Dominic distracts him with kisses, cock twitching against his thigh as it gets more heated. All the same, he still feels tense and nervous, and stiffens up. 

“Relax, love,” Dominic murmurs, and Hal nods, taking a shuddering breath. Two fingers now, curling and moving, and he shudders in pleasure at the feeling. It's strange and delightful, filling and emptying– and then it's three fingers as he pulls Dominic down for sloppy, hungry kisses and Dominic's free hand wraps around his cock to bring him back to hardness. It's wonderful, and Hal shivers as excitement builds in his chest again. 

Dominic kisses him, gentle and sweet, and then-

The fullness is a different kind from any he's experienced before. It's not quite painful, not quite pleasant yet, just something strange and in between. He feels utterly overwhelmed as Dominic presses with slow insistence into him, panting a little as Dominic remains hovered over him. Dominic's arms are trembling, his face flushed with desire, the only give-aways that he's just as invested in this as Hal is. Hal's breath feels short and heavy, as if his lungs are struggling to pull in enough air. 

“Can I move?” Dominic asks, his voice tight with strain. 

Move? Oh. 

Hal nods, still a little breathless, and arches up as Dominic slowly pulls back and then presses back in. He isn't prepared for this, for the strange sensation of his body turning loose and tense all at once, the movement and texture of a body so intimately and perfectly joined with his own. It doesn't feel great, not yet at least, and he bites his lip as tries to relax. And then, suddenly, as Dominic picks up speed, that feeling of pure pleasure jolts him. He shouts in surprise, and Dominic's smile widened. 

“There you are,” he purrs, and shifts his hips to hit the spot again. 

Hal's nails claw down his arm and across the sheets, his eyes wide with the the newness of it all. “ _Fuck!_ ” 

Dominic's smile is blinding, and slowly he picks up the pace. Hal's head spins with each wave of pleasure, his own cock leaking onto him as he struggles to stay able to think. It's a pointless endeavor, he realizes quickly, and he lets himself fall back into it. His toes curl, fingers grasping at the sheets as his mouth falls open, heart fluttering with just how _much_ it all is.

“Please,” he finds himself saying, endlessly repeating, despite not even fully knowing what he's asking for. “Please, _please_ -”

“Go on then,” Dominic says, and kisses his jaw as his hand tightens around Hal's cock. “Come for me, Mahalen.”

That's all it takes to tip him over the edge. It's as if his body has been coiled tight, like a spring, and suddenly the tension is gone. It's pure bliss, white hot joy. His mouth opens in a silent scream, not even able to truly make a sound as the waves wash through him. It feels as though he's been lit up from the inside out, and he nearly rips the bedsheets as he arches off of the bed. He's aware in only the vaguest sense of Dominic moving a few more times before he shouts as well.

When he comes back down, he's breathing heavily and his whole body feels as though it's alight with tiny pinpricks of lightning. He blinks a few times, looking up at Dominic, who smiles at him. 

“Welcome back,” Dominic says, and sounds hopelessly fond. 

Hal's arms twitch in a parody of movement, wanting to pull him down to kiss him but unable really to move. Luckily, Dominic notices and bends down, catching his mouth in a sweet and tender kiss that has Hal shuddering with the sheer amount of emotion in it. With a colossal amount of effort he reaches up to wrap his arms around Dominic, and holds him tight. He's being pressed into the bed, and the sheets will assuredly be a mess in a minute or two, but for now this is all he wants. To be utterly enveloped and surrounded by that gentle, kind adoration. 

“As far as first time experiences go,” he says, when he has his breath and his voice back, “it was perfectly acceptable.”

Dominic huffs out a laugh, and peppers kisses over his nose and cheeks to make him smile. 

There will be things to do, later. Monogrammed things to buy, the Inquisition to run, thank you letters to send, servants to give gifts to, and things to move from Skyhold to the mansion. There will be meetings and soiree's and salons to attend, and training to go to, and seven thousand other minor details to attend to before the month is out. There will be pages and pages of things to read and write, information and explanations sent out as word escapes about his new and wonderful life. But for now, Hal decides, he will forget about all of that. 

Hal lets Dominic bathe him with care and attention to detail, lets him wash his hair and press kisses over his tired body. He's dressed in soft silks, and climbs into their freshly clean bed and settles down on the wonderful soft mattress, settling in for his first night as a married man. 

“Good night, Dominic,” he says as Dominic climbs in as well, pulling the covers up and over them. They're so soft and so warm, and Hal feels as though he could melt into them.

“Good night, Mahalen Lavellan-Montagne,” Dominic says, and kisses his forehead. 

Hal smiles. 

He buries his face in his husband's shoulder, and sleeps better than he has in months.


End file.
